Changes

[[Image:Mig-25.jpg|thumb|right|350 px|A "Foxbat" in flight.]]

[[Image:Mig-25.jpg|thumb|right|350 px|A "Foxbat" in flight.]]

Western operators have discovered five versions:

Western operators have discovered five versions<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/mig-25.htm MiG-25 Foxbat at GlobalSecurity.org]</ref>:

The '''A''' is the first version.

The '''A''' is the first version.

===Iran-Iraq War===

===Iran-Iraq War===

The Foxbat was [[Iraq]]'s most modern fighter at the start of the [[Iran-Iraq War]].  They were flown exclusively by Soviet pilots at first, but Iraqi pilots were trained to fly them after the war began.  They claimed a number of victories in the interception role,<ref>''Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat'', by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, Osprey Publishing, 2004</ref> but their record is still largely unknown.  Iraqi Foxbats proved as difficult to intercept as Syrian Foxbats had been to the Israelis, but Iranian [[F-14 Tomcat]]s managed to down eleven over the course of the war, all with Phoenix missiles.<ref>''Iranian F-14 Units in Combat'', by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop, Osprey Publishing, 2004</ref>  MiG-25s were used to attack Iranian shipping as well, but with no success.<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_209.shtml Tanker War, 1980-1988]</ref>  Iraqi Foxbats had better luck against ground targets, including the Iranian oil facilities on Khark Island, which were bombed heavily starting in 1982.  In 1988, Foxbats were equipped with Soviet anti-radar missiles and sent on missions against Iranian radar stations.  At least one of these ended in success when two missiles destroyed the radar dish and killed several personnel of a site near Hamedan, in central-western Iran.

The Foxbat was [[Iraq]]'s most modern fighter at the start of the [[Iran-Iraq War]].  They were flown exclusively by Soviet pilots at first, but Iraqi pilots were trained to fly them after the war began.  They claimed a number of victories in the interception role,<ref>''Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat'', by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, Osprey Publishing, 2004</ref> but their record is still largely unknown.  Iraqi Foxbats proved as difficult to intercept as Syrian Foxbats had been to the Israelis, but Iranian [[F-14 Tomcat]]s managed to down eleven over the course of the war, all with [[AIM-54 Phoenix|Phoenix missiles]].<ref>''Iranian F-14 Units in Combat'', by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop, Osprey Publishing, 2004</ref>  MiG-25s were used to attack Iranian shipping as well, but with no success.<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_209.shtml Tanker War, 1980-1988]</ref>  Iraqi Foxbats had better luck against ground targets, including the Iranian oil facilities on Khark Island, which were bombed heavily starting in 1982.  In 1988, Foxbats were equipped with Soviet anti-radar missiles and sent on missions against Iranian radar stations.  At least one of these ended in success when two missiles destroyed the radar dish and killed several personnel of a site near Hamedan, in central-western Iran.

===Gulf War and Confrontations with Iraq===

===Gulf War and Confrontations with Iraq===

When Western sources still thought of it as a superfighter, the Foxbat was the inspiration for novel and movie ''Firefox'', by  Craig Thomas.  

When Western sources still thought of it as a superfighter, the Foxbat was the inspiration for novel and movie ''Firefox'', by  Craig Thomas.  

A B-52 survives an interception by MiG-25s in a tense scene in the nuclear war movie ''By Dawn's Early Light'', and Foxbats are briefly seen on the ground in the blockbuster ''Independence Day''.

A [[B-52 Stratofortress]] survives an interception by MiG-25s in a tense scene in the nuclear war movie ''By Dawn's Early Light'', and Foxbats are briefly seen on the ground in the blockbuster ''Independence Day''.

==References==

==References==

<references/>

<references/>